Pump and bearing construction



May 5, 1942. H. F. ENGLAND 2,281,582

PUMP AND BEARING CONSTRUCTION Filed June 22, 1940 lNvEToR HAPPY f'- wan/vn ATTORNEY5 Patented May 5, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PUMP AND BEARING CONSTRUCTION Harry F. England, Prairie City, Oreg.

Application June 22, 1940, Serial No. 341,853

(Cl. S-111) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a liquid pump and has for its object an improved construction to enable the pump runner to be placed at sub stantially great distances from the driving motor without being affected -by heavy vibration due to lack of bearing support near the runner end of the shaft connecting the driving motor and pump ruimer. A further object of my invention is to enable a bearing, capable of guiding the pump shaft, to be placed at points which are relatively long distances from the driving motor and relatively close to the pump runner, which points are normally beneath the surface of the liquid being pumped; and yet the bearing will not ycome into contact with nor be damaged by the surrounding liquid. Still another object of my invention is to provide a structure on a pump as described which may be used for a liquid, sand or sump pump so as to enable the bearing placed near the runner end of the long pump shaft to be 3 to facilitate bolting it to the shaft and runner assembly. To the flange 3 is bolted, by means of bolts 4, another tubular housing 5 whose diameter is somewhat less than that of motor housing I and which housing has reinforcing ribs 6 at the upper end. In housing 5 and between reinforcing ribs 6 are suitable openings through which oiling and repairing may be done. Near the upper end of this housing an annular inwardly extending flange IB is provided. Inthis ange are bolt holes whose purpose will be described later. This latter housing extends around and along the shaft I2 and at its lower end l is considerably enlarged to enclose the pump runner 8. Ribbed reinforcements 9 are also provided at this end of the housing at the point where the housing is enlarged to enclose the pump runner. The lower end of the housing, adjacent to and just above the pump runner, is provided with a series of openings l0 through which the liquid surrounding the whole runner assembly up to the normal liquid line W-L may come into Contact with the runner S, by flowing through an annular horizontal opening I I surrounding the shaft I2. It is easily seen that this construction enables the Whole pump runner assembly and housing,

except the shaft and connected parts, to be carried by the motor housing by means of the bolted flange 3. Naturally, when the proper depth to which the pump is to be submerged is determined, the runner housing 'I may be supported on blocks I3 or by any other convenient method. It is clear that the pump assembly may be used vertically as shown or inclined where such a position would give better results. Also inlet II is inthe bottom of the housing 1.

The pump shaft I2 is attached to the motor shaft (not shown) by means of a flexible coupling I4 and is threaded aty its lower end I5, by which threads it is secured to the pump runner 8. Within the housing 5, andsurrounding, but spaced from the shaft I2, there is another tubular housing I'I, provided with an annular flange I8, with bolt holes therein, which is designed to be bolted to the inwardly extending annular flange I6, carried by housing 5, by means of bolts I9. Just above this Iiange I8, the housing I1 supports ball bearing 20, the latter being locked to the shaft I2. At the other and lower end of housing I'I is a bearing 23 supported on the inside of the housing which contacts the surface of shaft I2. It may be seen from the vdrawing that housing I'I is made of sufficient length so that its lower end and, as a consequence, the bearing 23, are substantially far away from the pump motor, and close to the pump runner. This necessarily means that vibration will be substantially eliminated because of its being supported near the end at which` the vibration would be principally created. It is obvious that the bearing surface and housing surface may be made as large and strong as is necessary to eliminate vibration, the amount of which varies directly as the distance away from the pump motor.

Thehousing I'I is also provided with two lubrication nipples 24, located just below iiange I8, with sockets in their outer ends into which any suitable greasing or oiling device may be inserted. Ports 2B in housing 5 are provided in alignment with nipples 24 for gaining access thereto. These nipples are placed at opposite sides of the housing and arranged with ducts 25 and 26 therein communicating with the sockets. One of the ducts 26 communicates at its other end with the inside of housing Il, while the other duct 25 communicates with the outside of housing I'I. Thus it is possible to have the bearing 23 lubricated both from above and below as will be eX- plained later.

Just below the bearing 23 at 2'I the diameter of the shaft I2 is reduced, and the shaft retains this constant reduced diameter for the remainder of its length to threaded end l5. An annular ring 2S is attached to the shaft by means of a press fit just below the point at which its diameter is reduced. This ring in turn carries an upwardly extending tubular housing 29 whose diameter is greater than that of the housing Il, but less than that of housing 5. This housing continues upward to a point just below the lubrication nipples 2li on the housing il. This construction forms a ring shaped well 2i around the shaft and housing il whose inside wall is housing Il, whose outside wall is housing 29 and whose bottom is formed by the annular ring 28 tted to shaft i2. In practice this well may vary in length from a few inches to as many as eight to ten feet, depending on operating conditions. Housing Il also forms the outside wall of the space 22 surrounding the shaft and extending' from the top of bearing 23 to the lower edge of flange lil. This last mentioned space 22 has lubricating duct t6 opening into it, while duct 25 opens into the ring shaped well 2l described above. This means that while housing 29 rotates with the shaft I2, the bearing 23 may be 1 lubricated 'from both above and below by oil retained in these' two spaces. Just below bearing 23 and closely surrounding shaft l2 is a rub ber sleeve 35 eXtendnig downward to the point at which runner 8 is attached to the shaft. This serves as a protection against injury to the exposed portion of the shaft between the bearing 23 and the runner 8.

It is easily seen that the pumping operation can be carried on with a well lubricated bearing 23 far below the liquid level W-L and yet none of the liquid comes into contact with the bearing surfaces. The advantages obtained through longer wear due to the bearing being placed at this point and thereby eliminating vibration, as well as corrosion and abrasion of the bearing surfaces are obvious. This becomes particularly important when sand or other abrasive material is contained in the liquid being pumped.

Having described my invention, I claim.:

1. A pump and drive shaft assembly comprising, a substantially vertical shaft,`a pump runner secured on the lower end of said shaft, an inner and an outer tubular member around said shaft coaxial therewith, said members being spaced from each other and from said shaft and the lower ends of said members terminating adjacent said runner with the lower end of said outer members below the lower end of said inner member, a bearing for said shaft carried by said inner member at the lower end thereof and extending radially inwardly thereof and directly supporting the lower end portion of said shaft for rotation, a closure for the lower end of said outer tubular member secured thereto and spaced below said bearing and rigidly secured to said shaft, supporting said outer tubular member concentric with said shaft and with said inner tubular member for rotation with said shaft, a head spaced above the upper end of said outer tubular member supporting said inner tubular member rigid therewith in position depending therefrom, a bearing carried by said head rotatably supporting the upper end of said ,shaft in a position coaxial with said inner member, the upper end of said outer tubular member being open for admission of oil into said upper end to be conducted by said outer tubular member to below the bearing carried by said inner tubular member and a port formed in said inner tubular member at a point above the upper end of said outer tubular member and below said head for admitting oil into said inner tubular member and to the upper side of the said bearing carried at its lower end, and means supporting said head stationary and supporting said inner and said outer members in their positions relative to each other and to said head and ruimer as herein described.

2. Bearing structure for a substantially vertical pump shaft having a pump runner secured to its lower end comprising, a pair of coaxial substantially vertically aligned, spaced bearings adapted to directly support the upper and lower ends of such shaft for rotation, an inner tubular member coaxial with the axis of said bearings supporting said bearings at opposite ends of said inner tubular `member in 'axial alignment and in position for supporting such shaft spaced within said inner tubular member, an outer tubular member around the outersides of said inner tubular member and coaxial with the latter, the lower end of said outer tubular member terminating below the lower of said bearings and below the lowerl end of said inner tubular member, the upper end of said outer tubular member terminating below the upper end of said inner tubular member and being open and accessible for admission of oil into its upper open end for conducting oil to below the bearing carried at the lower end of said inner tubular member, and means supporting said inner and said outer tubular members in their positions relative to each other as herein described.

3. In a structure as deiined in claim 2, said inner tubular member being provided with means positioned below the upper of said bearings and above the upper end of said outer tubular member for admission of oil into said inner tubular member for Vcarrying by the latter to the upper side of the lower of said bearings, said means comprising a port in said inner tubular Amember accessible tor an operation for injecting oil into said port.

HARRY F. ENGLAND. 

